SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT CRIMINOLOGY PART ONE

 Schools of Thought (Criminology) PART ONE

  1. Classical School

  2. Neo-Classical School

  3. Positive School

  4. Sociological Theories




 Classical School of Thought in Criminology:

1. INTRODUCTION

  • • Emerged in 18th century Europe.

  • • Reaction against harsh and arbitrary justice systems.

  • • Focus on rationality, equality, and legal reform

  • 2. MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS :

    • • Cesare Beccaria – Father of Classical Criminology.

    • • Jeremy Bentham – Utilitarian philosopher.

    • • Emphasized fair and proportionate punishment.


    • 3. KEY PRINCIPLES

    • • Free will: Humans choose criminal actions.

    • • Rational choice: Crime is a calculated decision.

    • • Deterrence through appropriate punishment.

    • • Equality before the law.

    • 4. BACCARIA IDEAS:

    • • Abolition of torture.

    • • Opposed death penalty.

    • • Advocated speedy trial and rights of accused.

    • • Punishment must be certain, swift, and proportionate

    • 5.BENTHAM UTILITARIANISM

      • • Principle of 'Greatest happiness for the greatest number'.

      • • Pleasure-pain calculation influences behavior.

      • • Introduced Panopticon – surveillance-based prison model.

    • 6. INFLUENCE ON CJS

    • • Basis for modern criminal law systems.

    • • Fair and codified legal procedures.

    • • Deterrence-based policing and correctional methods.

    • 7. CRITICISM

    • • Overlooks social and psychological causes of crime.

    • • Assumes all individuals are rational and equal.

    • • Ignores inequalities in society and justice system.

    • 8. LEGACY

      • • Inspired Neo-Classical Criminology.

      • • Focus on law reforms and human rights.

      • • Still relevant in modern criminal justice policies.

Neo-Classical School of Thought in Criminology
  • 1.INTRODUCTION

  • • Emerged in early 19th century.

  • • Modification of Classical School principles.

  • • Recognized that not all offenders have equal free will and rationality.

  • 2. KEY FEATURES:

    • • Individual differences among offenders considered.

    • • Recognizes mental illness, age, and situational factors.

    • • Punishment still based on deterrence but with flexibility.

    • 3. MAJOR CONTRIBUTION

      • • Development of mitigating and aggravating circumstances in sentencing.

      • • Introduction of juvenile justice reforms.

      • • Appreciation of diminished responsibility.

    • 4.BASIS OF NEO CLASSICAL THOUGHT

      • • Crime is influenced by biological, social, and psychological factors.
      • • Justice must be fair and individualized.
      • • Punishment should fit both the crime and the criminal.
      • 5. DIFFERENCES

        • • Classical: Assumes complete free will and rationality.
        • • Neo-Classical: Accepts partial responsibility in special cases.
        • • Classical: Uniform punishment.
        • • Neo-Classical: Flexible punishment.
        • 6. ROLE IN CJS REFORMS

          • • Introduced modern judicial discretion.
          • • Foundation of criminal defenses like insanity and infancy.
          • • Led to probation, parole, and reformatory systems.
        • 7. CRITICISM
        • • Still relies on deterrence theory.
        • • Ignores deeper social causes of crime.
        • • Judicial discretion may lead to discrimination.
        • 8. LEGACY

          • • Balances individual rights and social protection.
          • • Continues to inform modern criminal law.

          • • Supports humane sentencing practices.

POSITIVIST SCHOOL OF THOUGHT: SCIENTIFIC SCHOOL

  • 1. INTRODUCTION 

  • • Emerged in late 19th century.

  • • Reaction against Classical School’s assumption of free will.

  • • Claims criminal behavior is determined by factors beyond individual control.

  • 2. KEY ASSUMPTIONS

    • • Crime is influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors.

    • • Focus on offender study, not just the crime.

    • • Scientific methods used to understand criminal behavior.

  • 3. MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS

  • • Cesare Lombroso – Biological determinism.

  • • Enrico Ferri – Social and environmental influence.

  • • Raffaele Garofalo – Concept of natural crimes

  • 4.LOMBROSO ATAVISM THEORY

    • • Criminals are 'born criminals'.

    • • Based on physical features indicating evolutionary throwbacks.

    • • Identified traits like long arms, facial asymmetry.

  • 5. FERRI CONTRIBUTION

  • • Crime influenced by social, economic, and environmental factors.

  • • Emphasized crime prevention strategies over punishment.

  • 6. GAROFOLO CONTRIBUTION

  • • Defined crime based on violation of natural law.

  • • Moral anomalies lead to criminal acts.

  • • Focus on psychological traits of offenders.

  • 7. SCIENTIFIC APPROACH

  • • Use of criminological research and statistics.

  • • Incorporation of biology, psychology, and sociology.

  • • Foundation for forensic and correctional sciences.

  • 8.IMPACT ON CJS

    • • Introduced individualized treatment.

    • • Rehabilitation of offenders.

    • • Focus on correction rather than deterrence only.

  • 9. CRITICISM

  • • Biological theories considered unscientific today.

  • • Often discriminatory and biased.

  • • Overlooks rational choice in crime.

  • 10. LEGACY

    • • Basis for modern criminological theories.

    • • Supports rehabilitative justice.

    • • Influenced psychological profiling and correctional research.

Sociological Theories of Criminology

  • 1.INTRODUCTION 

  • • Sociological criminology focuses on social environment and interactions.

  • • Crime is seen as a product of social inequalities and cultural norms.

  • • Emphasis on group behavior rather than individual pathology.

  • 2.MAJOR THEORIES

    • • Social Structure Theories

    • • Social Process Theories

    • • Social Conflict Theories

  • 3. SOCIAL STRUCTURE THEORY

  • • Society’s structure influences criminal behavior.

  • • Poverty, unemployment, and inequality increase criminality.

  • 3.STRAIN THEORY

    • • Crime results when individuals can't achieve socially approved goals legally.

    • • Adaptations: Conformity, Innovation, Ritualism, Retreatism, Rebellion.

  • 4. SOCIAL DISORGANISATION THEORY

  • • Developed by Chicago School.

  • • Crime flourishes in areas with weak social institutions.

  • • Neighborhood breakdown leads to deviance.

  • 5. CULTURAL DEVIANCE THEORY

    • • Subcultures with criminal norms influence behavior.

    • • Youth learn values different from mainstream society.

  • 6. SOCIAL PROCESS THEORY

  • • Crime as product of social interactions.

  • • Focus on learning, social control, and labeling.

  • 7.DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION THEORY

    • • Criminal behavior learned through interaction.

    • • Exposure to pro-crime attitudes increases likelihood of offending.

  • 8. SOCIAL CONTROL THEORY

  • • People obey law due to bonds with society: attachment, commitment, involvement, belief.

  • • Weak bonds lead to deviance.

  • 9. LABELING THEORY

    • • Society's reaction shapes criminal identity.

    • • Label of 'criminal' encourages continued deviance (self-fulfilling prophecy).

  • 10.SOCIAL CONFLICT THEORY

  • • Crime results from class conflict and power differences.

  • • Law favors the powerful and disadvantages the poor.

  • 11. MARXIST CRIMINOLOGY

    • • Criminal behavior linked to capitalist exploitation.

    • • Focus on white-collar crime and state crimes.

  • 12.FEMINIST CRIMINOLOGY

  • • Explores gender inequality and victimization of women.

  • • Challenges male-dominant crime theories.

  • 13.CONCLUSION

    • • Sociological theories highlight the role of society in producing crime.

    • • Strong basis for modern crime prevention strategies.

    • • Emphasize social reforms and community development.

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